Dr. José A. Berrocal

Dr. José Augusto Berrocal was born in Orvieto, Italy, in 1986. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry (2014) from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. During his doctoral studies, he was trained as a physical organic chemist under the guidance of Prof. Luigi Mandolini and Prof. Stefano Di Stefano.

In 2014, Dr. Berrocal relocated to the Netherlands as a postdoctoral fellow at Eindhoven University of Technology, working with Prof. E.W. “Bert” Meijer. Three years later, he joined the group of Prof. Ben Feringa at the University of Groningen. These experiences provided him expertise in supramolecular chemistry and materials, and light-driven molecules and molecular systems.

Dr. Berrocal embarked on his independent career at the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) in September 2019. His research combines concepts and techniques from organic, supramolecular and polymer chemistries to tackle scientific challenges that exceed one specific field of interest. Designing and understanding stimuli-responsive materials devoted for potential sustainable and environmental applications constitutes a major drive in his research.

In July 2023, Dr. Berrocal assumed the role of Group Leader at ICIQ as part of ICIQ’s Starting Career Programme (ICIQ-SCP) funded by the Severo Ochoa Excellence Grant CEX2019-000925-S (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/ 501100011033). He has started this new phase also with an ERC Starting Grant for the project “Reversible Heterolytic Mechanophores for Dynamic Bulk Materials” (ReHuse).

Recently Dr. Berrocal has been recognized with the Thieme Chemistry Journals Award. The price is presented annually by the editors of Synthesis, Synlett and Synfacts to the most promising up and coming researchers (assistant or junior professors) worldwide in the field of organic chemistry.